Welcome to Cruise Critic! If you'd like to participate on our forums by joining in the conversation, please Register Now! Be sure to visit our FAMOUS Roll Call forums, where you can meet other cruisers sailing with you and share a tour or shore excursion and SAVE MONEY!

Just wondering if anyone has stayed here and what your thoughts are about it......I have Harbor House booked, but for the price of it, I can almost stay 3 nights at Gaidos and have extra money to play in Galveston, instead of just 2 nights at Harbor House with tight monies for pre-cruise fun in Galveston.....but I just want to make sure, because there are so many mixed reviews on different travel sites.

We have stayed at Gaido's but years ago as we now live on the island.
It is a basic motel with a new pool area. Cannot comment on current room conditions. Part of the rooms face the Gulf, others are in the back and face a parking lot,.

Decide on what is important for you. There is so much to do in Galveston and lots of great restaurants that it could be worth the extra night.

Just wondering if anyone has stayed here and what your thoughts are about it......I have Harbor House booked, but for the price of it, I can almost stay 3 nights at Gaidos and have extra money to play in Galveston, instead of just 2 nights at Harbor House with tight monies for pre-cruise fun in Galveston.....but I just want to make sure, because there are so many mixed reviews on different travel sites.

We have stayed there the last two cruises...and are booked there again for our November cruise. Its an older motel type place, but the rooms are plenty good enough for us. Nothing fancy, just a nice older room. We always get a room on the second floor facing the water. We've never stayed there during the summer, just in December...not sure if that makes a difference. They have a continental breakfast, but its not much...guess it'll do in a pinch. They have two really nice restaraunts there...we like Caseys. If you do book there, be sure and ask for the cruise special...you get something like 10%-15% off the room and $10 off a meal there, along with the usual free cruise parking. A cab usually runs about $12 -$15 to the cruise ship terminal. Again, we've stayed at a several fancier places in Galveston, but we like Gaidos...and I reccomended it to a friend from work who has stayed there twice now and thinks it ok too.

We have stayed there the last two cruises...and are booked there again for our November cruise. Its an older motel type place, but the rooms are plenty good enough for us. Nothing fancy, just a nice older room. We always get a room on the second floor facing the water. We've never stayed there during the summer, just in December...not sure if that makes a difference. They have a continental breakfast, but its not much...guess it'll do in a pinch. They have two really nice restaraunts there...we like Caseys. If you do book there, be sure and ask for the cruise special...you get something like 10%-15% off the room and $10 off a meal there, along with the usual free cruise parking. A cab usually runs about $12 -$15 to the cruise ship terminal. Again, we've stayed at a several fancier places in Galveston, but we like Gaidos...and I reccomended it to a friend from work who has stayed there twice now and thinks it ok too.

Well this is good to know Hillbillycruiser....I went ahead and cancelled the Harbor House....just couldn't see myself paying so much, when this hotel seems to be just fine.....we aren't into any of the fancy stuff anyway and this way we get more days in Galveston....so we will probably run into ya'll before the cruise, because I got a 2nd floor facing the gulf also....all they had was non-smoking, but there are chairs outside of the rooms the lady said, so it will be just like at home for me sitting outside when I decide to go smoke....LOL

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockinmlb

I dont like the looks of it from the outside, looks very run down. I have no clue what the inside looks like tho.

On another note, I always do "name your own price" on priceline and got my pre cruise room for $35 at the best western seawall

Just wanted to give you a little heads up on the Best Western.....we stayed there not long ago, when my granddaughter was in Galveston for a cheerleading competition and we were not impressed...and it don't take much to make me happy, but our housekeeping really was awful at this one, our room actually seemed dirty when we first walked in and I told my hubby that it looked like they didn't even change the sheets from the previous guests....needless to say I asked for them to have someone come put clean sheets on or at least bring them to me so I could do it....front desk didn't even bat an eye when the request was made...just told hubby okay....WOW.... and it wasn't just us...a lot of people were complaining about it....now I am not picky about hotels, except that they are cheap, And Somewhat Clean......Hope it has improved since February

www.gaidosseaside.com will show you partial photos of the rooms, pool area, etc. as well as other information.

A co-worker of my husband highly recommends Gaido's so we have reservations there for our next cruise. He says it is an older, family-owned establishment but the rooms are very clean and good for the price. Hubby says it has to be clean or the co-worker wouldn't stay there as he tends to carry a can of disinfectant with him wherever he goes. It is also directly across the street from the beach which seems a very good "plus" for me I too did not want to spend so much of my fun time money on a room I will only spend a few hours in at night.

Gaido's is very very basic but met our needs last cruise and I am sure will again. EAT AT THE SEAFOOD RESTAURANT - the service is superb, and the food is AMAZING!!! We dream of the lobster bisque. Can't wait to have it again!

__________________

January 2011 - Voyager of the Seas (RCCL out of Galveston) - Roatan, Belize, Cozumel

January 2010 - Serenade of the Seas (RCCL out of San Juan) - Tortola, St. Maarten, Antigua, St. Lucia, Grenada

how is the beach across the street? We would like to take our little ones to play in the sand. I know that with all the rocks along sea wall, in some spots, there is only a beach as the tide goes out. Just curious as we don't want to have to walk to far with them. Thanks

You are right on Seawall Blvd. and across the street from the beach...it will be OK as long as it's not high tide. However, you will be overlooking a parking lot which gets very full every day and evening. I know I've said this before on another thread, but I don't know why anybody would want to stay here. It's old, a parking lot is your view, and of all the places to stay in Galveston this would be almost at the bottom of my list. That's why it's cheap!!!

With all that said, Gaido's restaurant is one of my favs. They have excellent seafood. Casey's used to serve breakfast, but no more. So, you will also be on your own for breakfast.

how is the beach across the street? We would like to take our little ones to play in the sand. I know that with all the rocks along sea wall, in some spots, there is only a beach as the tide goes out. Just curious as we don't want to have to walk to far with them. Thanks

I'm no expert on Galveston beaches,and there are probably nicer beach areas, but there seemed to be plenty of sandy beach front across the street. There is a rock/stone thingy that goes out into the water at the East end of Gaidos...right by the stop light, and then lots of beach stretching across in front of Gaidos ( I'm sure the rock/stone thingy has a technical name, but us Missouri Hillbillies dont get around beaches often enough to know more technical names other than ' Beach '...' Water '...and ' Seagull '. Last time we stayed there, we walked out on the affore mentioned thingy and watched the surfers..it was really interesting.

I'm no expert on Galveston beaches,and there are probably nicer beach areas, but there seemed to be plenty of sandy beach front across the street. There is a rock/stone thingy that goes out into the water at the East end of Gaidos...right by the stop light, and then lots of beach stretching across in front of Gaidos ( I'm sure the rock/stone thingy has a technical name, but us Missouri Hillbillies dont get around beaches often enough to know more technical names other than ' Beach '...' Water '...and ' Seagull '. Last time we stayed there, we walked out on the affore mentioned thingy and watched the surfers..it was really interesting.

Those rocky things are the jetties...be very, very careful not to swim too close to them, the rip currents can be very dangerous.

You are right on Seawall Blvd. and across the street from the beach...it will be OK as long as it's not high tide. However, you will be overlooking a parking lot which gets very full every day and evening. I know I've said this before on another thread, but I don't know why anybody would want to stay here. It's old, a parking lot is your view, and of all the places to stay in Galveston this would be almost at the bottom of my list. That's why it's cheap!!!

With all that said, Gaido's restaurant is one of my favs. They have excellent seafood. Casey's used to serve breakfast, but no more. So, you will also be on your own for breakfast.

Well hubby and I just got back from there and not knowing your expectations in hotels, I can't understand why someone would be so adamant about warning others of this place....we went for a quick getaway and decided since we are staying here in Nov. before our cruise, that we would stay here now, and no it isn't the Ritz or any other over priced place to sleep, but our room was exceptionally clean, and the people were very nice, and we LOVED the location. Maybe it looks old on the outside(which it didn't really look that bad to me), but the rooms are clean and comfortable and since I wasn't standing outside all the time looking from the outside in, It was perfect and for the price it is much better than expected....But to each their own, but as long as the price is right, my room is clean and comfortable, then I am happy. We also like the fact it wasn't some chain hotel, and had that beachy feel to it, because when we go beaching it in Port Aransas, the popular area for tourists near us, these older beachy type hotels are what everyone wants, because it the whole atmosphere thing too!!!!

So for the person with the kids that asked about Gaido's, I think you will enjoy your stay there, if you are wanting beach time, with a clean hotel at a good price!!!!!

"I can't understand why someone would be so adamant about warning others of this place....

I hardly think my review of Gaido's could be construed as being "adamant" about warning others of the motel. Just stating my opinion which I am entitled to. What I recommend to people is to check out the reviews on Trip Advisor. You get the best of the pros and cons on their site.

I hardly think my review of Gaido's could be construed as being "adamant" about warning others of the motel. Just stating my opinion which I am entitled to. What I recommend to people is to check out the reviews on Trip Advisor. You get the best of the pros and cons on their site.